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As US Treasury officials resumed dialogue with Pyongyang in Beijing, North Korea (NK) sounded impatient when it warned that it will test another nuclear device if Washington does not quickly resolve its financial dispute.
US Deputy Assistant Treasury Secretary Daniel Glaser revealed that his talks with NK was progressing slowly and that they had only now "established a framework" for further negotiations. Glaser also said that the US Secret Service presented NK officials with evidence of systematic currency counterfeiting, money laundering, and drug trafficking perpetrated by the communist regime. It specifically cited Macau's Banco Delta Asia of helping NK and forced it to freeze USD 24 million that belonged to NK.
However, reports suggest that NK dismissed the evidence as insufficient and would bring up its frustration in the six nation talks scheduled February 8 in Beijing with announcement for "another test." China is playing a constructive role in bringing the parties together but does not seem to be taking the leadership to take the dialogue further. Earlier two engagements failed to reach any settlement.
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